Girls soccer: Welch’s goal gives Naperville North regional championship
Few teams have been able to beat Oswego this spring.
Four-time state champion Naperville North became the first to beat the Panthers twice thanks to a smothering defensive effort that held on for a 1-0 win during Saturday afternoon’s Class 3A Oswego regional championship game.
“I mean, they’re a really good team with really good players,” Oswego coach Gaspar Arias said. “It was really strong competition and that’s what we were expecting. We knew we’d play some really tough games this season so we’d be ready for this.”
The Panthers (19-5-1) had one of their only scoring chances in the 25th minute. Junior Jordyn Washington rifled a shot from the top of the box corner that Huskies goalkeeper Olivia Ochsner slowed down into her chest, bobbling it briefly before securing it.
They wouldn’t produce many others as the Huskies ensured Washington wouldn’t beat them.
“She’s an incredible player,” Huskies coach Steve Goletz said. “She’s so strong, but she’s also really, really good at finding space, setting up defenders. But, our backline has been really good the whole year and (senior defender) Emily Buescher was absolutely incredible on her, you know, when we played her the first time and I thought she was just as good, if not better, today. To limit her to two shots in the first half, both from 20 yards, that’s a win.”
Naperville North (13-5-3) was already set to host sectional semifinals next week, which certainly added to the pressure of the game. The Huskies alleviated some of that pressure in the 50th minute when junior Brooke Welch redirected Claire DeCook’s cross, tapping it home from deep within the goal area for what proved to be the game-winner.
“Claire sent it to me and I knew I had to get inside to give us a chance,” Welch said. “It was 0-0 so I really wanted to contribute to my team and help the seniors survive another day and advance. I knew it was best to get inside shoulder and I flicked it in and was able to get it past the goalie.”
Welch last scored in the Huskies’ season-opening 1-1 tie against Barrington on St. Patrick’s Day.
That was certainly a good day for Welch, but this one was even better.
“It’s about making that run, because especially as a wing forward 99% of the time that ball isn’t there,” Welch said. “But on that one time it’s there, it can change the game, and that’s when it did today. So a lot of it is just positioning and all of our forwards know and are willing to make the run and get in there, too.”
Goletz called Welch “about as good as a kid you could ever want to coach.”
“She’s so good at caring about others before herself,” he said. “You know that was her first touch on the field. She didn’t play the entire first half. We put her in out wide and we talked a little bit at the halftime about when the ball goes out to a big serve we got to be patient and got to goal side inside the outside back for the big ball that is whipped across and try to get anything on it. And there’s the play. For her to make an unbelievable soccer play when we really needed it was just special.”
Oswego accomplished so much despite falling short of a regional crown. In addition to establishing a school record for wins, they won the Southwest Prairie Conference and the Plainfield Classic tournament.
“I told them right now to just be proud and to keep your head up,” Arias said. “A lot of these kids are coming back so hopefully they’ll be excited for next season and will come back stronger.”